Having entered the Christmas season, we ask those who find the work of the Mystagogy Resource Center beneficial to them to help us continue our work with a generous financial gift as you are able. As an incentive, we are offering the following booklet.

In 1909 the German philosopher Arthur Drews wrote a book called "The Myth of Christ", which New Testament scholar Bart D. Ehrman has called "arguably the most influential mythicist book ever produced," arguing that Jesus Christ never existed and was simply a myth influenced by more ancient myths. The reason this book was so influential was because Vladimir Lenin read it and was convinced that Jesus never existed, thus justifying his actions in promoting atheism and suppressing the Orthodox Church in the Soviet Union. Moreover, the ideologues of the Third Reich would go on to implement the views of Drews to create a new "Aryan religion," viewing Jesus as an Aryan figure fighting against Jewish materialism. 

Due to the tremendous influence of this book in his time, George Florovsky viewed the arguments presented therein as very weak and easily refutable, which led him to write a refutation of this text which was published in Russian by the YMCA Press in Paris in 1929. This apologetic brochure titled "Did Christ Live? Historical Evidence of Christ" was one of the first texts of his published to promote his Neopatristic Synthesis, bringing the patristic heritage to modern historical and cultural conditions. With the revival of these views among some in our time, this text is as relevant today as it was when it was written. 

Never before published in English, it is now available for anyone who donates at least $20 to the Mystagogy Resource Center upon request (please specify in your donation that you want the book). Thank you.



December 11, 2014

When St. Nektarios Saw St. Nicholas in a Dream



The following letter was written by St. Nektarios of Aegina on October 21, 1907 and is addressed to his spiritual daughters in Aegina:

I am writing this letter to you immediately upon rising from bed so as to let you know of an impressionable dream I had. I dreamt that I was standing at the foot of the reliquary of Saint Nicholas. He appeared to be sleeping, however, he also seemed to be moving at the same time. He then opened his eyes, sat up and lifted his arms towards me. I bowed in reverence to kiss him, but he embraced me and kissed me on the mouth three times. I, too, kissed him. After the embrace he looked at me and said, "I will take you up high, very high, but I want you to make a silver throne for me." As soon as he said that, he immediately went back to sleep, and then I woke up. Once I awoke, I remembered that I had seen this dream once before, in fact only a few days ago, but I had forgotten it. I now remember that the Saint had kissed me in the first dream, but I did not say anything. It was in the second dream that he made the announcement and request. 

I am writing to you about what I saw because what made an impression on me was its revealing character and the assertion of his announcement and subsequent request. We shall see if it is a true dream. It does appear to be true, but we should remain neutrally inclined and let the Lord guide us towards good works. I have decorated the church of Cairo which honors the name of Saint Nicholas and transformed what was once meager into something grand. This is, however, the first time that I have seen Saint Nicholas in my dream, not to mention that he also embraced and talked to me. May the name of the Lord be blessed.

From Saint Nektarios: A Saint For Our Times.

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